







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | |
| I'm really sorry about that! | |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | |
| Why is that rice so special? | |
| Is it really on the menu? | |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |
| You are absolutely right! | |